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In this second half of The Grant’s Innovation Fund introduction, Irene Larroy from EY shares with us the complex application and evaluation landscape of one of the EU’s most ambitious funding instruments for decarbonisation. In this second part we go through step-by-step the grant application process—what documents are required, how feasibility studies and financial modeling fit into the process, and what it takes to calculate eligible costs using the dreaded Excel templates. Irene shares hard-earned insights into what makes proposals successful (or not), especially in relation to key documents like the GHG emissions calculator and the financial maturity documentation.

The episode also examines how Innovation Fund proposals are evaluated: from the role of expert panels to the five core evaluation criteria—degree of innovation, GHG reduction, project maturity, replicability, and cost-efficiency. Bonus points, controversial scoring issues, and evaluation fairness across sectors are addressed with practical advice for applicants. Finally, we have a look at what happens after winning the grant, including negotiations, financial close, and the grant agreement phase—plus a few project success stories to bring it all to life.

Time codes:

00:02:06 How to apply

00:16:54 Evaluation

00:46:59 When receiving funding

01:00:38 Do's and don't's

01:07:32 The toughest challenge